The short, stocky fullback carries a one-of-a-kind look. His long, stringy black hair spills beneath his Cal helmet. He sports a thin beard, flashes an engaging smile and speaks exuberantly about his longtime dream of playing football in Memorial Stadium.

That's one clue about Will Kapp's bloodline, beyond his surname. Then there's his uniform number (22), his wide-eyed ferocity and his never-a-doubt presence in Berkeley, despite a more realistic chance for playing time at smaller schools.

Yes, this is Joe Kapp's son.

More than 50 years after his father took the Bears to the Rose Bowl and nearly 23 years since Joe's departure as head coach, Will Kapp is vying for a substantive role with the Bears. He's one of three fullbacks competing for the starting job, alongside senior Brian Holley and sophomore John Tyndall.

Kapp, a sophomore, probably counts as a longshot, given his modest size (5-feet-10, 216 pounds) and lack of experience (he appeared in two games on special teams last season). But he's "in the mix," as coach Jeff Tedford put it, and that's a notable achievement for a player who arrived as a walk-on and still seeks a scholarship.

Barely an hour down the road, one of the most decorated players in Cal history - a College Football Hall of Famer and onetime Super Bowl quarterback - wrestles with his loyalties and his desire to let Will forge his own identity. "He's his own man," Joe Kapp said several times during a 20-minute interview from his Los Gatos home.

Will Kapp still chose to play at Cal, a school with which his father will forever be associated.

"It's a unique feeling," Joe Kapp said. "You want to stay removed and let the man play his own game. And yet obviously you care. I have the same feeling for the Bears that every alum has for the Bears. It's personal."

Joe Kapp, removed from the public arena for more than two decades, seemed uncomfortable about his role in his son's story. That's understandable, but Will Kapp was less reluctant to embrace the family history he brings to Cal football.

"It's awesome coming from that background, that legacy," Will Kapp said. "But I'm doing my own thing. I didn't decide to come here because my dad played and coached here. I came here because I grew up here."

Will Kapp grew up in Los Gatos, but he began attending Cal football games soon after he began walking. He remembers watching Deltha O'Neal, who started his Cal career when Will was 8. After one recent practice, he pointed to Section CC, where he sat when the Bears beat USC in triple overtime in 2003.

It's also worth noting the way Will Kapp offered these nostalgic tidbits - in a soft voice, with little of the bluster and intensity Joe still shows at age 70. Will Kapp chuckled as he spoke of Joe, ever active, throwing the football at the beach in Capitola earlier this month.

But father and son are strikingly different in many ways. Will shares just as many personality traits with his mother, Jennifer.

"I'm a lot more laid back than my dad, less gung ho," Will said. "When I step on the field, I'm like him. But I'm a little quieter and less in-your-face off the field."

Joe Kapp's brash style was especially memorable because he played quarterback. Will was born long after Joe's playing career ended, but he watched countless tapes of his dad powering downfield, mostly for the Minnesota Vikings.

Will smiled as he recalled one touchdown against the 49ers, when a linebacker decked Joe as he crossed the goal line. He lay motionless on the ground for nearly 10 seconds, then popped up, ran off the field and didn't miss a series. Another time against the Browns, Joe planted his knee into an opposing linebacker's chin, knocking out the guy.

"He was cutthroat," Will said. "I'm trying to be cutthroat out there, too."

Running backs coach Ron Gould praised Kapp for coming to training camp in great shape. Gould also noticed what happens every time he calls Kapp's name in practice: No. 22 immediately hops into the huddle, eager and energetic, reminiscent of another Kapp from another era.